Pontoon and boat construction



March 21, 1961 J. OPlE PONTOON AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 {A R 3a 3 fi I ,3! I 27/ 25 30 33' $26 I! 24 2 2% I I 23 I If a 1 1 11 7 &

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MUN. will!!! 372 K22 "MW 20 v 14 1g 24 I .7 l v a I I 198- 19a. 18 19 18a 19 a]?! Z INVENTOR 7 G ie March 21, 1961 QPIE 2,975,747

PONTOON AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION March 21, 1961 J 2,975,747

PONTOON AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 19, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Jain 0 e nitd 1 My invention is directed to novel pontoons, pontoontype boats and floats.

It is an object of my invention to provide a pontoontype catamaran normallyunsinkable boat, float or vessel, having two or more pontoons rigidly connected in spaced apart positions by a frame or transverse cross members and having metal bands encompassing the pontoons, and secured to the cross members or frame, and said pontoons being substantially filled with a lightweight nonabsorbing water repellant material, which material upon entry of water into the pontoons, will not be displaced by water.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an unsinkable pontoon having the herein described novel structural features, and having its interior spaces sub stantially filled with a lightweight non-absorbing moisture-proof celullar plastic material of low density which will not be displaced by water in cases where the pontoon wall is pierced or broken, and which may be easily and quickly attached to objects to be supported thereb It is the further object and accomplishment of my invention to provide a relatively lightweight and portable pontoon type boat or float, having a plurality of spaced apart sealed pontoons having substantially transversely extending top walls connecting the side walls of each of said pontoons, each of said pontoons having a central longitudinally extending keel, and said boat having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart cross members and having a plurality of metal bands or straps whose ends are rigidly secured to said cross members and which said bands encircle the separate pontoons to hold same in proper rigid positions, and which said pontoons enclose bodies of relatively light weight plastic non-absorbing material, such as styrofoam, Unicrest, foam-glass or equivalent material which is not displaceable by water.

A further important object of my invention is the provision, in a pontoon-type boat or float, of means for rigidly securing the pontoons in spaced apart positions, which said means includes a plurality of metal straps encircling the bodies of said pontoons respectively and wherein said metal straps and adjustable and releasable stud and bolt means mounted in the connecting cross members.

Other and further important objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims.

Fig. l-elevation view looking at the preferred form of my catamaran type float, boat, or raft.

Fig. 2-a perspective view looking at the stern portion thereof.

Fig. 3-a side elevational view showing the frame and substructure mounted on one of said pontoons.

Fig. 4a cross section taken on a vertical plane, indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

i Fig. 5-an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the end atenr portion of one of the bands or straps and taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6-a perspective view of the pontoon boat with transverse connected bars mounted in position.

, Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view, taken substantially on a vertical plane, of the bow portion of one 7 of said pontoons and illustrating the anchoring of the eye-bolt.

As shown on the drawings:

Numerals 10 and 11 designate generally a pair of. elongated pontoons which are preferably made of suitable sheet metal and which are of U-shaped cross sections.

The main body of each of said pontoons may be made of onecontinuous metal sheet to form a rounded U-shaped wall 12, or of a plurality of suitable formed aligned sections, to provide one compartment 13, defined partially by opposite upwardly extending side walls 14 whose lateral edges are disposed in a common transverse plane.

The forward portion or point 15 of each pontoon is gradually reduced, tapered and inclined upwardly, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, to provide an inclined face, and is preferably formed by suitably bending a trape zoidal shaped metal sheet into U-shaped form, and with the rear edge of the same size and shape as the forward edge of the main pontoon body, and joining and sealing such abutting edges by welding or the like, in the positions illustrated.

A small transverse metal front wall 16 is positioned and secured in sealing engagement with the forward portion of. the point 15 of each pontoon, preferably by welding. A projecting eye-bolt 17 is preferably secured. (in and extending through a short outer re-inforcing mounting plate $4 and in the front wall 16 of each pontoon; as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 6 and 7. Said eye-'boltsprovide a convenient means for anchoring and for towing the pontoons and units containing same. 7

The stern of each pontoon comprises in. part a transverse metal panel or wall 18 which is pre-formed :as a separate piece and which is welded about its edges to the side walls to connect and brace the opposed side walls. Each stern panel 18 has a threaded outlet hole in which a screw plug 18a is removably mounted.

Each pontoon has a rearwardly extending tail piece 19 which is preferably made as a separate piece and suitably welded to the metal wall defining the stern panel 18 of each pontoon, and which tail piece is defined by upper downwardly inclined edges 1%, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. A metal top cover or wall 20 extending the entire length of the body of the pontoon and formed fromcne or more suitably connected sheets, has itsopposite lateral edges angularly bent upwardly and doubled back downwardly to form two laterally extending integral channels or websZl, which receive the edges respectively of the side walls of the pontoons and are pressedand sealed tightly against said side wall edges to provide an interior chamber or compartment extending the full length of each pontoon. However, the sealing and mounting of the upper wall 20 is not performed until after the mounting within each pontoon of a plurality of flat blocks and pieces of relatively light, relatively rigid non-absorbent water-proof material 3S'such as styrofoam, Unicrest, foam-glass, or equivalent plastic material. I

Said plastic materials usually are proc'urable in blocks at least several inches thick andthe same are cut ;to desired and proper sizes to pack the same into. each pontoon in side by'side relation, leaving a minimum amount of space between the same, and between such material, and the wallsof the pontoon body so that a very smalhpart of the compartment is free of said material. Such plastic material can be moulded innne piece to fit into the body of each pontoon to therebyfill the interior of each pontoon.

Such moulded light plastic non-absorbent material is of very light density and the'space it occupies cannot be displaced by water.

After the blocks and other flat-faced pieces of said light plastic material have been placed into position to fill each pontoon, the cover or top wall 29 is mounted and the channeled edges are pressed, sealed or welded in the previously described positions to hermetically seal each pontoon against entry of water.

I have found by tests that the approximate weight of such plastic materials in pontoons constructed in accordance with my invention represents approximately two percent of the weight of a volume of water equal to the space occupied by said material within a given pontoon.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 6 I have illustrated a catamaran type boat or float in which two of my said pontoons are mounted and support the frame and superstructure.

Numerals 22 designate a plurality of transverse connecting members or bars (preferably four in number) which are of metal, wood, or other rigid material. Each of said cross bars 22 has four spaced apart holes 39 located adjacent the positions of the side walls of the two pontoons. A plurality of bands or straps 23 of steel or other metal are of a length to extend around the pontoon and from one upper edge to the other of each pontoon. On each end of each of the metal bands 23 is secured by welding a threaded bolt 24, as shown in Fig. 5. Said bands and bolts comprise a suitable harness for securing removably the said pontoons.

Said threaded bolt 24 extends through the spaced apart holes or passages respectively in the cross bars 22 and are secured therein by nuts 25 which thread on said bolts, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Suitable washers 26 are interposed between said nuts 25 and the upper faces of 'cross bars 22, as illustrated. Said bolts provide for tightening the respective bars or straps 23 about the pontoons respectively, to press the same against the under faces of said cross bars 22 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Mounted on the cross bars 22, in the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, is a frame or superstructure which comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart upwardly extending posts or struts 27, which are preferably formed of angular steel bars of right angle cross section.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 said upwardly extending posts or supports 27 are positioned above the respective transverse bars 22 and at points substantially above the side walls of each said pontoon, and the lower ends of said posts 27 are suitably secured preferably by welding to cross bars 22 respectively.

The upper ends of said respective posts 27 are connected together by two longitudinally extending metal side trusses 28 which are preferably of right angle cross section and to which the respective posts 27 along and above the sides of saidpontoons are secured by welding or the like. Transversely extending front and rear metal connecting bars 29, which are preferably of angular cross section, are connected to the upper ends of the respective posts 27, which are at the corners of the frame and which are adjacent to the front and rear of said super-structure.

A pair of metal transversely extending connecting arches 30 and 31 for the opposite ends secured by welding or the like to the intermediate portions of the front and rear transversely connecting bars 22, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and relatively shorter vertically extending posts 33 have their opposite ends secured by welding or the like to the intermediate portions of said arches 30 and 31 respectively, and up the upper front and rear metal transverse bars 29, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A plurality of diagonally extending metal bars or braces 32 are mounted to traverse diagonally the respective areas between the adjacent vertically extending posts 27 and 33, said braces being secured to their respective vertical posts 27 and 33 by welding or the like. The resulting aforedescribed frame or frame work provides a strong and rigid super-structure which will support relatively heavy loads without distorting and undue strain to any of the aforesaid parts.

Mounted on the upper faces of the uppermost front and rear trusses and bars 29 and on the parallel side bars 28 is a suitable fioat platform or supporting surface 36 which is in a common plane and which may be formed of wood, metal, or other suitable material. Said mounting of platform 36 is preferably by plurality of bolts 37 which extend through spaced apart holes forming in the front, rear, and lateral edges of platform 36, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Said respective bolts 37 extend suitable spaced holes (not shown) in the side bars 28 and front and rear transverse bars or trusses 29.

The construction of the frames and trusses as described provide for the advantageous mounting on the supporting platform 36 at a substantial height above the normal level of the water, such height being more than sufficient to being above the upper portion of the waves in relatively rough lakes, rivers, or other bodies of water, so that the normal travel or movement of the float, barge, or vessel will not be substantially impeded or reduced by waves, currents, wind pressures, and the like.

The herein-described construction provides pontoons and boats or vessels having such pontoons which are unsinkable under any normally encountered conditions and provide a high degree of safety; It will be understood that piercing or any breakage of any portion of the walls, front or stem of my pontoons cannot cause a filling up by water of the normal space within the walls of the pontoons, because virtually all of the space within the pontoons is filled with the afore-described light plastic material, and only a very minute quantity of water could fiow in through any break to occupy only the relatively small spaces between the light plastic material and the metal walls. The boat or float which I have described having a pair of said pontoons may be easily moved or propelled by a suitable outboard motor which is adapted to be easily mounted on the stern or rear portion.

I desire it to be understood that a single pontoon of my described construction and as illustrated in cross section in Fig. 4 may be used by itself for a number of different uses, to a part of which I have personally referred.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and as many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims could be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a boat having a pair of spaced apart pontoons each of said pontoons having a reduced forwardly extended lower inclined portion and each having a transversely extended upper wall providing an inner sealed compartment; the combination of a plurality of transverse connecting bars mounted above the upper walls of said pontoons; a light weight Water repellent material filling the entire compartment of said pontoons; a plurality of upwardly extending bars and braces connected together and connected to said transverse connecting bars; said bars and braces forming a frame; a fiat platform mounted on said frame; a plurality of metal straps encircling and engaging said pontoons at spaced apart points; and threaded bolts connecting the ends of said straps respectively to said transverse connecting bars.

2. In a boat having a pair of spaced apart pontoons,

aifb

each of said pontoons having a reduced forwardly extended lower inclined face and each having a transversely extended upper wall providing an inner sealed compartment; the combination of a light weight water repellent material filling the entire compartments. of said pontoons; a plurality of spaced apart transversely extending connecting bars connecting the upper portions of said pontoons; a plurality of upwardly extending posts and braces secured on said bars; a platform mounted on said posts and braces; and a plurality of metal straps connected at their opposite ends to said connecting bars at spaced apart points and encircling said pontoons at longitudinally spaced apart points to thereby hold said pontoons in properly spaced apart positions.

3. A boat having a pair of spaced apart pontoons each of said pontoons having a reduced forwardly extended lower inclined portion and each having a transversely extended upper wall providing an inner sealed compartment; a light weight water repellent material filling the entire compartments of said pontoons; a plurality of spaced apart transversely extending connecting bars connecting the upper portions of said pontoons; a mounting harness including metal encircling straps and enveloping said pontoons and including releasably fastening and anchoring members on the ends of said straps and engaging said transversely extending bars to thereby removably mount said pontoons, a plurality of upwardly extending frames mounted on said connecting bars respectively, and extending substantially above the upper walls of said compartments; and a platform mounted on the upper portions of said frames, said platform being spaced substantially above said pontoons.

4. A float of the catamaran type having a plurality of spaced pontoons, each of said pontoons being completely sealedand providing a sealed chamber, and having a relatively light, non-absorbent, water repellent material substantially filling the sealed chambers of said pontoons; a plurality of horizontally spaced cross bars connecting the upper portions of said pontoons; a plurality of curved References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 522,348 Martini July 3, 1894 907,303 Wilkins Dec. 22, 1908 996,444 Yarrington June 27, 1911 2,066,101 Dunlap et a1 Dec. 29, 1936 2,417,508 Leyde Mar. 18, 1947 2,616,101 Tym Nov. 4, 1952 

